Two Illinois residents have filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Botanic Garden and the company responsible for operating its holiday lights attraction after a display collapse resulted in serious injuries, as reported by NBC Chicago. The incident, which occurred on December 20, left Ariel James and Shelli Loesch with severe wounds, including broken bones, when part of the Lightscape event's setup tragically gave way, crushing them and multiple children beneath its weight.
According to the court documents cited by NBC Chicago, the display's protection screen and rigging, lacking any warning or adequate safety measures from the Chicago Horticultural Society and Culture Creative, LTD, UK-based event managers of Lightscape, collapsed "suddenly and without warning," this is despite reported winds being about 16 miles per hour at the time of the accident, which is well below what Culture Creative deems their displays should withstand. Cultural Creative’s own standards declare that "all artistic displays should withstand sustained winds of 45 miles per hour," yet these standards were evidently not met during the Glencoe event.
James sustained multiple traumas, including a complex fracture of the left wrist and injuries to her shoulder, neck, and head; Loesch suffered extensive harm as well, including a complex fracture of her left ankle, a fracture of her left tibia, and a fracture of the coccyx which was accompanied by a head injury leading to loss of consciousness, ABC7 Chicago reports. The lawsuit impugns both the Horticultural Society and Culture Creative for failing to ensure the installation's stability and the Chicago Botanic Garden, managed by the Horticultural Society and owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, for not safeguarding against hazards.
Seeking damages in excess of $50,000, the plaintiffs have cited a litany of grievances including past and future pain and suffering, medical costs, emotional trauma, disruption to normal life, and lost wages; the Forest Preserve District of Cook County has been singled out for willful and wanton misconduct, for, the plaintiffs allege, permitting hazardous displays without proper safety measures to be built, and failing to prevent these precarious setups even when faced with mild 16 miles per hour winds. In response, the Chicago Botanic Garden has offered no specific commentary on the lawsuit; however, they did affirm through a statement to NBC Chicago and ABC7 Chicago that "Visitor and employee safety is our first and foremost priority."
